Working tools, such as miter saws, are widely used in carpentry due to their ability to make precise cuts in a variety of materials very quickly. Transporting of these tools becomes easier due to their compact design. Portable table saws are also very popular for much of the same reasons. However, a saw bed or support platform in order to adequately support a material an operator wishes to cut is not yet very compact or easy to store/transport. To elevate a saw to a comfortable work height, a carpenter often sets up saw horses with a large piece of plywood on the top to create a table for these tools. The carpenter still needs to extend the top elevation of the saw bed by building up the table on either side of the saw with material which dimensionally adds up to the saw table thickness or to set up adjustable roller stands on either side of the saw, thus lending a support to the material to be cut and adding to the overall set up time.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,462,102, 4,860,807, 5,320,150, 4,874,025, 5,497,816, and 4,974,651 describe various saw tables that have addressed the problem of lifting and supporting a saw off the ground with an adjustable stock support to rest work pieces on in order to safely cut them. The problems that are not addressed in these patents are: (1) the ability to accommodate other bench top tools since tools, such as miter saws, are not the only tools that would benefit from a table with stock supports, (2) limited or lack of storage space for other tools, and (3) the inherently bulky features of utility/table stands in storage/transport mode.
Another aspect of carpentry is the large quantity of tools required. There has been virtually always a need to store, organize, and transport these tools, in combination with a portable work bench. Various attempts have been made to design a work bench that is portable and has a tool storage capacity. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,224,531, 4,953,601, 3,771,848, and 3,118,685 describe various designs to store, organize, and transport a large assortment of tools. A problem exists in these patents with the size of a tool chest. In order to be a work bench that is of a sufficient work height, the tool chest sacrifices portability. Conversely, if the tool chest is of a size that can easily be loaded into a vehicle, the tool chest sacrifices the height that would be comfortable to work on as a work bench.
It can be seen that there is a need for an improved utility stand storage unit which has a comfortable working height as well as being capable of collapsible, portable, and adjustable. There is also a need for such a utility stand storage unit to be modular and easy to set up.